The Red Thread of Destiny
by goshinote
Summary: A chance meeting and a sense of familiarity bring a boy and girl together. From a school to a bookstore, a new love unfolds between them. AU. InuKag...Complete!
1. Stolen Glances, Strong Connection

Hello, my loves! It's been a while since I've uploaded any new chapters to my other ongoing fics, and it's been even longer since I've uploaded a new fic altogether. Things have been hectic lately, and I'm still working out the rest of the storyline to How Far We Come and I just haven't had time to get anything done on it.

I wrote this fic about 2 years ago, so it was already done. I stumbled upon it in a folder on my computer, so I decided to do some quick editing and upload it! I mentioned it in a random chapter of a different fic and how it's the first AU fic I've ever written, so I'm hoping it turned out well!

I know that a lot of people don't like when POV's switch around in one story, but I hope that I've written this in a way that doesn't make it annoying or tedious.

Also one thing to keep in mind with this fic: Kagome doesn't live at the shrine, so Goshinboku is located elsewhere. Alright, I'm done!

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

 **Chapter 1: Stolen Glances, Strong Connection**

The Boy:

Darkness.

It's all around me. It's consuming my soul, trapping my mind, and stealing my breath away.

I'm alone outside, clad in red clothing I've never seen in person, searching the night sky for the moon. It's not there. Nothing is there. I look around me. No one is there.

"Mother!" I cry. My voice is small and tiny like a child's. At that moment, I realize that I am a child. I'm lost and it's dark and I'm alone. My hair is black, and I can barely see anything at all.

A large, dark figure appears and looms over me in silence, and just as I open my mouth to scream, it bares its long teeth and begins to devour me, overtaking my body too quickly for me to fight back.

"Mother!" I scream again. "Where are you?" It's pointless. No one is there. The dark creature's teeth close in on me and I open my mouth one last time to scream-

 _Beep, beep, beep!_

I woke up with a start and slammed my fist on that stupid alarm clock. I half-opened my eyes and groaned.

The dream felt alarmingly real; just like always.

Ever since I was a kid, it's been a recurring nightmare. Like clockwork, it happens every month at the same time: the night of the new moon.

It's always been the same.

I groaned again and rolled out of bed. It was six in the morning and I had to be at work in thirty minutes. My hair was still wet from my shower last night, which annoyed me to no end, so I had to quickly ring it out with a towel.

I'd been awake for not even one minute and I was already in a bad mood.

As I got dressed, I went over all of the crap I needed to do that day.

Go to work, pick up my transcripts from the high school, then come home to work on college applications.

I finished high school a semester early, so I don't have to be in school until the actual ceremony in June. It's the middle of January now, and I've got a steady job working with a local organization that builds houses. I plan on working with them until September when I start university. My first choice school has already shown some interest in me, so all that's left is to finish the application and apply to two or three other safety schools. I wasn't too worried though.

Once I was ready, I headed out to start the day.

The Girl:

As I pulled into the school's parking lot, I sighed.

Today was the first day of the last semester of high school. For me, it was my first day at this school altogether. My family had moved to this town a few days into my Christmas break; my eighteenth "birthday present" had been a huge move right before Christmas.

Luckily it was just for one semester and then I was off to university. Well, technically I wasn't going off anywhere. The university I was going to was fairly close to our new house, which is partially why we'd moved. Our house was about thirty minutes away, but I'd chosen to attend the high school in the town where my future university was located. It would make it easier to get used to the area.

So now here I am.

The high school itself is beautiful, and I can't help but admire the columns and tall windows as I walk in. When we'd come for orientation, I had immediately loved the structure of everything. It was small, but inviting. The school was incredibly bright on the inside. Windows covered the walls so the outside world was visible.

I took a deep breath as I walked through the door and headed for my first class.

By lunchtime, I decided that this school wasn't too bad. I mean, it was school so obviously it wasn't a joy to be there, but I knew it could be a lot worse.

My teachers were nice enough, and the library was _huge_ which I was really happy about.

There were three girls that had been really friendly to me in the classes we had together, so they invited me to sit with them at lunch. Their names were Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi.

"So, Kagome," Eri began. "How do you like Takahashi High School so far?" I smiled as I unwrapped my sandwich.

"It's good," I replied. "I have good teachers so that makes things easier." Yuka groaned.

"Speak for yourself!" she complained. "I have Mr. Naraku for science. He's the _worst_."

I laughed. "I haven't met him yet," I said. "Here's hoping I don't ever have to." Eri and Ayumi laughed.

"He's not that bad," Ayumi replied. "Mr. Naraku collects and grades homework from each night, and Yuka literally never does her homework. She gets points taken off every day in his class." Yuka frowned.

"You know the worst part?" she said to me. "He was my science teacher _last_ year, too. Now he teaches our year's science class. I swear he's stalking me just to give me a bad grade. And he's creepy." I laughed and shook my head.

"Do you not like science class?" I asked. Yuka made a face. "It sucks," she replied. I giggled again.

"I can help you with it if you have trouble with any of the work," I offered. Yuka looked at me gratefully.

"I might take you up on that offer soon," she replied. "Eri and Ayumi are useless when it comes to science class."

"Hey!" Eri and Ayumi complained. "That's not true!" I laughed again at the complaints and protests.

Lunch was great, and I was happy to have made some friends. All in all, this school wasn't too shabby.

The Boy:

When I had gotten off work, I made my way straight to the school. One of our construction projects had finished earlier than we thought, so school was just about to end when I walked through the door.

It was hard not to cringe as I walked into the office. Memories of the time I spent here flooded my mind, and it took my best efforts to not walk right back out the door.

It wasn't like I'd been picked on or anything. In fact, it was the opposite. No one ever spoke to me. I don't know if it was my weird hair color or what my older half-brother calls my "repellant personality," but I didn't have too many friends. There was an acquaintance here and there, like maybe a fellow outcast in the back row with a mutual hatred for pretty much everyone, but there was never anyone I'd wanted to keep in touch with.

Anyway, as soon as I walked in, I was nauseated. I'd spent three and a half miserable years in this place. I hated coming back.

The door to the office squeaked as I pushed it open and I winced at the noise. I just wanted to get in and get out.

I noticed that they'd hired a new receptionist. She was on the phone, so she motioned for me to have a seat to wait. I smiled, but stifled a groan. This place sucks.

I turned around to the small area with chairs and felt an instant jolt at what I saw.

It was a girl.

There was something familiar about her jet black hair. She hadn't looked up from the papers she was looking at, but I could see that she had striking blue-gray eyes. She was beautiful.

And so familiar.

I shook my head to myself and tried to peel my eyes off of her. I knew, just _knew_ , I had never met that girl, but something inside me begged to differ.

She suddenly looked up at me and our eyes locked. Barely a second later, she broke the eye contact and looked back down at the papers settled in her lap.

I was immediately unsettled.

But…it wasn't really a bad feeling.

Before I could try and look away from her, I saw the receptionist wave me over out of the corner of my eye.

"What can I help you with?" she asked kindly.

"Could I get a copy of my transcripts please?" I asked. "It's for my college applications." The receptionist nodded.

"Absolutely," she replied. She opened a drawer in her desk and rummaged around for a moment. "Aha," she said when she'd found what she was looking for.

"This is a transcript request form," she explained as she handed me the paper and a pen. "You just need to fill it out and then I can go ahead and give them to you. It shouldn't take long, so you can fill it out here if you have an extra ten minutes." I nodded and took the paper from her.

"Thank you," I said. The receptionist smiled. "You're welcome," she replied. "Feel free to have a seat while you fill them out."

This new receptionist was actually really nice. The lady from last semester was old and mean. I was a little disappointed that I'd been stuck with the old woman from last semester and the years past.

I took the form and found a seat to fill it out. I couldn't help it; I glanced up at the girl again. She was focused on the papers on her lap again, so she didn't see me.

I shook my head to myself and began filling out the transcript form. The sooner I finished it, the sooner I could get out of here.

The Girl:

Twenty minutes before school was over, I was called into the office. I couldn't help the hope that filled me. Maybe something had happened and I could just go straight to college now.

When I reached the desk, the receptionist smiled at me. "What's your name, honey?" she asked in a friendly voice. "Kagome Higurashi," I replied. The receptionist nodded as she rifled through some papers.

"Your credits from your last high school were sent here a little late, so your schedule will be changed a bit," she explained. "Two of the classes you're in now are ones that you already have credits for. Since those are no longer required for you to take here, you can choose two electives to take in lieu of those classes." She picked up a catalogue of the courses this school offered and handed them to me.

"The guidance counselor will call you into his office in a few minutes," she said. "You can have a seat and start looking through the course catalogue while you wait." I smiled and nodded. "Thank you," I replied.

The seats in the office were covered in scratchy-looking red and green chairs. Daring to sit in what looked like a cactus, I sat down in a green one and started to flip through the pages of the catalogue.

A squeak at the door startled me. My head snapped up and I saw a boy with long white hair pulled back in a low ponytail walk into the office. I immediately felt like I knew him, but I figured that I'd remember a guy with such unique hair. With one last glance, I turned my gaze back down to the catalogue and flipped through the classes.

The receptionist was on the phone so the boy sat down. His eyes met mine for a moment before he looked away. There was something unsettling about him, but I figured I was being silly about it and continued to look through the course catalogue.

A few minutes later, I heard him walk up to the desk and begin to speak.

His deep voice was like honey. It thick and rich, and it shook me from inside out. I had to stifle a chill from running through me. Instead of nearly swooning over the voice of a guy I didn't even know, I turned back to the catalogue in my lap.

Just as I had picked out my two new electives (archery and cooking), I looked up to see that the boy had sat down in one of the ugly red chairs across the room from me. He was filling out what I guessed was the transcript form I'd heard him ask about.

Not even a second after I looked at him, he glanced up and locked eyes with me.

His eyes were a rich amber color and I could have sworn I'd seen eyes like that in a dream once.

After a moment, I looked away and focused on the catalogue. Even though I wasn't looking at him, I could feel his gaze still settled on me.

I couldn't help but feel a powerful sense that I knew him.

I shook my head to myself as I circled the two courses.

"Kagome?" a male voice called my name from behind the desk. I looked up and saw who I assumed was the guidance counselor. I smiled and stood up.

As I walked back to meet the counselor, I snuck one more peek at the boy. His eyes were already on me, and I couldn't help that sense of familiarity again.

I wondered if it was worth finding out about.

To be continued…

Please let me know what you think so far!

Much love. :)


	2. The Bookstore, A Chance Meeting

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

 **Chapter 2: The Bookstore, A Chance Meeting**

The Boy:

Kagome.

The bright-eyed, dark haired girl's name was Kagome. She was beautiful, and when I caught her looking at me when I first sat down with my form, I felt as if there were a connection. Her gaze was unreadable, so I forced myself to take my eyes off of her. I probably looked like a nightmare. I'd been working on a house today, so my hair was pulled back and my work shirt and jeans had dirt all on them. I had on that ugly construction coat I had to wear, so that in itself was pretty off-putting.

The girl looked at me one more time before she went back with the senior class' guidance counselor. Something had changed in her eyes, but there wasn't enough time to even hear her speak.

I leaned back in my chair and frowned to myself. I guess it didn't really matter anyway.

I quickly finished filling out the form and got up to hand it to the receptionist. She got up to get my transcripts, and about five minutes later, they were in my hand and I was thanking the receptionist on my way out the door.

My mind was still on that girl, but I tried to shake her out of my thoughts.

I wouldn't be seeing her—Kagome—again. Just as well. I've got other things to focus on than a pretty girl that I've never met before.

As I began my walk to the local print store to make copies of my transcripts, I flipped through them. Despite having a crappy experience in high school, I'd actually be graduating with a 4.0 GPA. I knew my mom would have been proud of me, and she's the reason why I worked so hard in the first place.

Feeling confident about my college applications, I carefully rolled up the transcripts and put them in my inside coat pocket. It was bitterly cold outside, so I shoved my hands into my pockets and quickly trekked over to the print store.

After I had made four copies of the transcripts, enough for all the schools I was applying to, I headed home.

After a hard work day and a trip to prison-oh, I mean high school-I was exhausted. I finished my college applications when I got home and then fell asleep on the couch.

As hard I tried to push the thoughts out of my head, that Kagome girl was the last thing on my mind when I fell asleep.

The Girl:

My class schedule was completely fixed, but when I left the school, I still felt on edge. Something was off with that boy. I knew, I could _feel_ it, that I had met him before.

What's more important is that I was certain I hadn't just seen him in passing at a store or recognized him from somewhere random.

I _knew_ him.

I tried to push the thought out of my head as I walked away from the school. It's not like I'd be seeing that white-haired boy again anyway. Instead, I focused on my after-school destination.

When my family and I had first toured this town, we'd stopped to look at a little strip of stores near the school. We'd walked past a book store, and luckily I remembered where it was. I needed a break from today, so I thought I'd stop in to look around. I love to read, and I needed something to help me chill out from today.

"Can I help you?" asked an employee. She was pretty in a unique way; I would never be able to pull off the light pink eyeshadow that she was wearing. I smiled and shook my head. "I'm just looking," I replied. "Thanks." The employee smiled back at me.

"Sure thing," she said. "My husband and I own this place, so please let me know if you need anything." I thanked her again and she went off to join her husband. I noticed that he was sporting a small ponytail at the nape of his neck. What was it with guys and ponytails today?

I didn't stay at the bookstore for too long before heading home. I hadn't realized how worn out I was until I walked through the front door of my house an hour later.

Mom called out a hello. "We're having pizza for dinner to celebrate you and Sota's first day," she called from the kitchen. I smiled. "Sounds great," I said back. "Pizza!" I heard my brother shout from the kitchen.

At dinner, I wasn't as talkative as Sota was about the first day. It must have been obvious; Mom put her pizza down and looked at me intently. "Kagome," she said. "Is everything alright?" I looked up from my plate and nodded.

"Yes," I replied. "I'm sorry. I, uh…I had something kind of weird happen today." Mom and Sota looked at me expectantly. "Do you want to tell us about it?" she asked. I hesitated. It's just going to sound stupid.

"I guess so," I replied. "There was a guy at school today, and there's something about him." Mom laughed. "Goodness, Kagome," she said amusingly. "Do you already have a crush?" For some reason, I didn't think it was that funny.

"No," I replied seriously. Mom picked up on my tone and stopped laughing. "Then…what was it about him that made it weird?" she asked. I bit my lip and thought back to the boy.

"I felt like I knew him," I explained. "It was almost as if I've seen him before but not just randomly on the side of the road. It was like I'd known him really well, but I don't know why." Mom looked pensive.

"Are you going to talk to him?" she asked. I shook my head.

"No," I replied. "It would be stupid if I walked up to him and said, 'Hey, I think I know you but I probably don't.' That would be too weird." Mom laughed. "Whatever you feel is right," she said.

"But I did make some new friends today," I said in an attempt to change the subject. Mom clapped her hands together happily. "I'm so glad to hear that," she replied.

Soon enough, we were finished with dinner and I went upstairs to get ready for bed. As I crawled under the covers, I found that I was exhausted. I fell asleep quickly, but I began dreaming almost immediately.

All I could see were golden eyes.

The Boy:

A week after I got my transcripts and saw the girl, I stopped in the bookstore near the high school. I usually came here a couple times a week, so I've gotten to know the owners pretty well.

The chime at the door when I walked in made the wife-owner look up at me. "Hey, Inuyasha!" she called when she saw me. She was chasing around her son, Shippo, in an attempt to get him to sit down instead of running around the store. "Hey, Sango," I replied. "You got any college prep books?" Sango smiled and nodded.

"Aisle seven," she replied. "Miroku said that he wants to help you out with your classes." She rolled her eyes. "He said you should major in Women's Studies and give him copies of all the notes." Her husband was quite the ladies' man before he and Sango got married, but he's since reined it in. Occasionally he has a relapse and makes a stupid joke like that, but Sango and Miroku are one of the happiest couples I've ever met.

I rolled my eyes back at Sango, who had finally caught Shippo, and we laughed. Another chime at the door turned Sango's attention away and I headed over to aisle seven.

A couple of the books looked pretty helpful, so I grabbed them and scanned through the rest of the section to see if there was anything else that looked interesting.

When I turned to go down a different aisle, I bumped into someone and my books and theirs went flying to the ground.

"I'm so sorry," a small voice said. When I looked down to see who was picking up the books, it was the girl. It was Kagome.

"It's okay," I replied as I bent down to help pick them up. Kagome looked up at me when I spoke and froze when our eyes met. She stared at me for a moment and then went to finish picking up the books.

I grabbed my three and she grabbed her two. I caught a glance of her books and couldn't help but chuckle.

" _Les Miserables_ and _The Scarlett Letter_ , huh?" I asked. "Heavy reading right there." Kagome smiled.

"More like guilty pleasures," she replied. "I'm a fan of symbolism." We both picked up our books and stood up. Kagome was looking at me somewhat intently, and I knew the same expression was on my face. Before I knew it, I spoke as if I couldn't control my words.

"This is going to sound weird," I began slowly, "but do we know each other?"

"I saw you at the high school the other day," she replied. "And I thought that you looked really familiar." So she had felt it, too. She bit her lip and hesitated.

"What's your name?" she asked. I admired how blue her eyes were again as I spoke. "Inuyasha," I replied. She looked confused.

"Inu…yasha?" she repeated. I nodded. "It's a family name," I explained. "It's strange." She shook her head. "It's interesting," she commented with a small smile.

"My name is Kagome," she said. I nodded.

"It's nice to meet you," I replied. Kagome looked trouble. "Maybe not," she said. I was confused.

"Then it's not nice to meet you?" I asked. Kagome laughed. The sound was something that could soothe you and give you strength at the same time.

"No," she replied. "I meant that I just feel like we already know each other." I didn't answer her. This couldn't be a coincidence. Kagome looked away from me.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I'm just stupidly going on about that." I smiled.

"No, don't apologize," I replied. "It's not stupid at all. I have the same feeling."

Kagome bit her lip and studied my face. "I don't think I'll be able to remember," she said. I shrugged.

"Me neither," I replied. Kagome looked away from me and adjusted the books in her arms.

"Well," she began, "I guess I should go." I felt a little twinge of disappointment.

"Yeah," I replied. "Me, too." She moved to make her way to the check-out desk and I followed.

Miroku was working the desk and when Kagome and I reached him, he eyed me. I shook my head; I didn't want him to get the wrong idea. Heck, I didn't even know this girl.

Kagome finished checking out and turned to me. "It was nice meeting you," she said. "I'll see you around." I smiled. "See ya," I replied.

I watched Kagome smile at me once more before she walked out the door, and then she was gone.

I put the books I was buying on the desk and pulled out my wallet. "Don't even say anything," I said immediately. Miroku stared at me.

"Just take them," he replied. I frowned. "What?" I asked. Miroku pushed the books back toward me.

"Take the books," he said, "and go after that girl." My eyes widened. Miroku had seen right through me. I nodded. "Thanks," I said quickly as I grabbed the books and dashed out the door.

The Girl:

When I walked out of the bookstore, I couldn't help but feel like I'd just walked away from something important.

I was probably about halfway to the school when I heard my name being called. When I turned around, it was Inuyasha.

"Hi again," I said when he reached me. Inuyasha smiled. "You have much longer to walk?" he asked. I shook my head.

"I walked to the bookstore from the high school," I replied. "My car is still in the parking lot." Inuyasha glanced behind me.

"I'll walk you there?" he asked. I nodded and smiled. "If you want," I replied.

Inuyasha and I began walking in a comfortable silence. "Do you live near the school?" I asked. Inuyasha hesitated. "Sort of," he replied. I glanced at him.

"Will it be a long walk for you?" I asked. "I could drive you home if you want." He shook his head.

"I live about ten minutes away from the bookstore," he replied. "And my car is in the shop so I'm used to walking everywhere." I frowned.

"If you say so," I said. "I don't mind." Inuyasha smiled and it was quiet again.

"Are you new at school?" he asked a few moments later. "I don't remember ever seeing you." I nodded. "Yes," I replied. "I just started this semester."

"That's probably why we never saw each other," he said. "I finished my classes in December." I was impressed. It sounded like he had his stuff together.

"Wow," I replied. "That must be nice." Inuyasha shrugged.

"It's alright," he said. "It leaves more time for work." Inuyasha made a face. "Which can be a good and bad thing." I laughed.

"I can't decide if I would rather work or be stuck in a classroom all day," I joked. "They both have their pros and cons." Inuyasha chuckled and shook his head.

"So did you ever have Mr. Naraku?" I asked without thinking. Yuka mentioned him again today, so I figured I'd ask for an outside opinion.

"The science teacher?" Inuyasha asked. He rolled his eyes. "That guy is a tool. No one likes him." Inuyasha looked over at me sympathetically.

"Are you in his class?" he asked. "If so, then Godspeed." I laughed again and shook my head.

"No, but my friend Yuka said that he's the worst," I replied. "I wanted to know if it was true." Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

"It's true," he confirmed. "Plus he's weird and creepy which makes it worse." I smiled at his dramatic answers.

"Luckily I'll never have to be in his class," I said. "I dodged a bullet there I guess." Inuyasha nodded.

"You dodged the biggest bullet that ever existed," he replied seriously. I couldn't help but laugh again.

The school had come into view and I pulled my keys out of my backpack as we approached my lone car in the parking lot.

"Well, thanks for walking me here," I said. I turned my face up to see those golden eyes. Inuyasha seemed pensive as we just looked at each other.

"Can I see you again?" he asked suddenly. My eyes widened. "Yes," I replied. I surprised myself with that answer. I grabbed a small notebook out of my back pack and wrote down my cell number.

"I'll talk to you soon?" I asked. Inuyasha smiled and tucked the paper in the pocket of his worn jeans.

"Absolutely," he replied. Those eyes engulfed me and with one last smile, he turned away and left.

Whatever this was, whatever connection this boy and I had, I didn't want to pass it up.

To be continued…

Much love. :)


	3. First Date, Happy Beginning

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

 **Chapter 3: First Date, Happy Beginning**

The Boy:

Kagome and I had made plans to meet at the bookstore again a few days after we officially met. I had requested the afternoon off from work, so I was ready to go when the high school let out.

I leaned against the counter in the bookstore where Miroku was counting the money in the cash register.

"You know all your books are overpriced, don't you?" I asked. Miroku smiled without looking up at me.

"I'm fair," he replied. "Fair enough to know the limit of how overpriced I can make things." I laughed and rolled my eyes.

The chime at the door rang out and I turned around to see Kagome.

She wasn't wearing anything especially dressy or fancy or whatever other terms girls use to describe clothes. Her outfit consisted of jeans and a sweater with a heavy jacket over it, but she may as well have been wearing a ball-gown. She was beautiful.

Kagome smiled when our eyes met and I pushed myself off the counter to walk over to her.

"Hi," she greeted when I reached her. "Hey," I replied. Kagome pushed a lock of hair out of her eyes and I had to keep my eyes from tracing the movement.

"Do you want to get a warm drink?" I asked. Kagome nodded and I motioned toward the door.

It was a quick and quiet walk to a coffee shop a few doors down from the bookstore. Kagome and I walked in and I bought us both a hot chocolate. We found a seat near the window and watched outside as snow began to fall.

"It's beautiful," Kagome said as she admired it. "We don't really get a lot of snow where I used to live." I turned to her and watched the way she looked outside.

"Where's that?" I asked. "Tokyo," she replied. I was a little surprised. This small town is _way_ different compared to the big city.

"That's pretty far," I commented. "Must be a big change." Kagome fidgeted with her cup.

"It's _really_ far," she said sadly. "It's a very big change." Her whole demeanor shifted into something dark and dreary. I frowned.

"Did you not want to move?" I asked. Kagome continued to look out the window. "The college I want to go to is in this town, which is partly why we moved," she replied. She turned back to face me and I saw that her eyes had grown sad. "We just left a lot of memories back home." She sighed and took a sip of her hot chocolate.

"What about you?" she asked. "Do you like living here?" I shrugged.

"I've lived in this town my whole life," I replied. "My mom and I moved here when I was a baby. My dad died when my mom was pregnant with me, so it was just the two of us." Kagome looked as if hearing that hurt her as well as me.

"I'm sorry to hear that," she said. "You and your mother must be close then." I looked away. "We were," I replied. "But she passed away a few years ago."

My mother had been sick for a while, but we thought she had more time. We were promised at least five years, but it had turned into six months. I was devastated.

When she died, I had to move in with my half-brother on my dad's side. Sesshomaru didn't want much to do with me, but he lived in this town and let me live with him until I turned eighteen last October and was able to get a job and move out. We don't talk much anymore.

I felt a warm hand cover mine. "Inuyasha," Kagome said, breaking me out of my mind. "I'm sorry." I looked up and met her eyes. Her gaze was intense, and I could see that she meant it. Most people apologize out of pity or sympathy. To Kagome, it seemed as if she understood the pain.

"My father passed away when I was six," she said. "It was a car accident. Mom was pregnant with my brother and went into labor a few days after the funeral. It was a rough time."

I shifted my hand under hers so I was holding it firmly. "I'm sorry," I replied with the same sincerity she'd had. Kagome sighed quietly. "Me, too," she said. "That's another reason why we moved. It's been twelve years since his passing, but the reminders of Dad around the house and the city were just too much. Mom had been itching to get out of there shortly after he died, but she never really had a reason. After I got an early acceptance to the university here in town, she took it as a sign that it was time to go."

I rubbed my thumb across her fingers. "That sucks," I said bluntly. Kagome laughed. "Yeah," she replied. "It totally sucks." I smiled and admired the girl in front of me.

She noticed me watching her, and she grew serious as she looked at me.

"Your eyes," she murmured. "They're such an interesting color." I blinked. A lot of people commented on my eyes, but this was the first time I'd had an urge to…blush. I never blush. Who _was_ this girl?

"Thanks," I replied. "I guess." Kagome smiled again.

"I keep thinking I've met you before," she said, "but I think I would remember golden eyes." I laughed. "Same for you," I replied. "I don't see many people with such clear blue eyes as yours." Kagome's smile waned.

"I got them from my dad," she said. I looked down at our hands. They were still clasped, and I had no intention of letting go any time soon.

"They're beautiful," I replied. Kagome's smile brightened again. "Thank you," she said.

A beep from her cell phone pulled us both from each other's gazes.

"Sorry," she said as she grabbed the phone from her bag. "It's my mom." I nodded.

"Hello?" she said into the phone. A muffled voice on the other end spoke for a moment.

"I'm at the coffee shop near school," Kagome said. Another muffled moment. "No, I'm not. Um, yes," she said hesitantly. I could've sworn I heard my name come from the other end of the line, and based on the way Kagome was blushing, I knew it was true.

I tried to keep the surprise from my face. She had told her mom about me?

"Okay, I love you, too." She put the phone back in her bag and set it on the ground. "I'm sorry about that," she said. "She was just checking on me." I shook my head. "It's fine," I replied.

We stayed at the coffee shop just talking for another hour. Kagome told me about her younger brother and her favorite memories as a child. I told her about my job and how I was applying to my dream college. Kagome smiled when I mentioned it was local.

"Are you talking about Goshinboku University?" she asked. I nodded. "That's the one," I replied. Kagome's smile brightened.

"That's where I'm going," she said. I smiled right back and gently squeezed her hand. "Fingers extra crossed that I get in," I replied. She laughed.

Not too much later, Kagome sighed and picked up her cup.

"I should probably get going," she said. I could tell she didn't want to leave; I didn't either. "Okay," I replied. We stood up and tossed our cups into the trash.

"Did you park at the school again?" I asked. Kagome nodded. I motioned toward the door of the coffee shop. "I'll walk with you," I replied.

We talked the whole way to the school. It was like we could talk about anything and it would never get boring. It was easy and simple with her.

"My brother, Sota, is twelve," Kagome said when I asked about her family. "He's annoying, which I guess is normal for a younger brother, but he's a good kid." I chuckled.

"I'm sure Sesshomaru would agree with that statement," I began, "but not with the good kid part." Kagome looked at me as we walked.

"Why don't you and your brother get along?" she asked. I thought for a moment. _There's not enough time in the world to explain that,_ I thought to myself.

"Well, I think a lot of it has to do with the age difference," I replied. "Sesshomaru is thirteen years older than me, so he was never too crazy about having a little kid near him. His mom was married to my dad just long enough to have Sesshomaru, but she moved to Thailand or something after they divorced. Sesshomaru resented Dad when he married my mom, so he's always been bitter about that." I smirked.

"I also tried to annoy him purposefully when I was little," I continued. "That probably had something to do with it, too." Although Kagome smiled at the last part, I could tell she was troubled by my lack of relationship with my brother.

"It's alright, though," I said in attempt to gloss over the bad parts. "He let me live with him for a few years when my mom died, so I know there's at least a little good in him." Kagome finally smiled sincerely at that, so I knew that I'd put her mind at ease.

"I always complained that having a brother that's six years younger than me sucked," Kagome said. "I can't imagine if Sota were _thirteen_ years younger. I bet you annoyed the crap out of Sesshomaru." I laughed.

"You're right about that," I replied. "It would be the same if our roles were reversed."

A few minutes later, the school came into view and I knew that our time together was coming to an end…much to my dismay.

As we approached her car, she reached into her pocket for her keys. After a moment, she reached in her other pocket. "Crap," she muttered as she reached in both her pockets again. She looked into her car and frowned.

"I put my backpack in my car before I left for the coffee shop," she said. "I must have left my keys in it. The clicker is broken so I have to lock it from the inside. I didn't even think about grabbing them from my backpack." Kagome looked worried but I just laughed. Her eyes met mine and she frowned again. "Why are you laughing?" she asked. I shook my head with the smile still on my face.

"You can't tell anyone this, okay?" I said. Kagome nodded bewilderedly.

"Do you have any bobby pins?" I asked. Kagome pulled one out of her hair and handed it to me.

I took the bobby pin from her, bent it just a little, and then stuck it in the lock of the car's door.

After a moment of fiddling, the car door unlocked and I opened it up.

Kagome just stared at it. "Wow," she said as she turned back to me. "How did you do that?" I shrugged. "You just mess with the lock until you hear a click." Kagome shook her head. "Do I even want to know how you knew to do that?" she asked.

I smiled sheepishly. "I used to break into cars and hotwire them," I admitted. "I'd get in trouble with the police during the middle of the night and they'd drive me home. It would wake Sesshomaru, my brother, up at like two in the morning." My sheepish smile turned into straight humor. "I did it mostly to irritate him."

Kagome looked at me in disbelief. A second later, she burst out laughing. "That's hilarious," she replied. "I mean, of course it's wrong, but that's too funny." Her laughter was contagious and I soon joined in.

When our laughter died down, Kagome smiled at me.

"I should really go," she said. "I have a long drive ahead." I was confused. "You don't live in town?" I asked. Kagome shook her head. "I live about thirty minutes away." I felt terrible.

"I'm sorry I kept you out so late," I said. Kagome smiled and took my hand. "No, it's fine," she replied. "Really. This was fun." I couldn't help but smile back at her.

I let go of her hand a moment later and she got in the car. She grabbed the keys from her backpack and started the engine.

She rolled down her window and I bent down to look in.

"Will you text me when you get home?" I asked. Kagome smiled and nodded. "I'll see you soon," she said. We both knew there was no question. We'd be seeing a lot of each other in the near future.

"I'll see you soon," I repeated. With one last smile, Kagome put her car in gear and drove off.

I walked home with a smile on my face.

The Girl:

 **Kagome: I'm home. Thanks again for today. It was great.**

 **Inuyasha: Yeah, it was. Can't wait to see you again.**

 **Kagome: You, too. :)**

 **Inuyasha: Good night. See you soon.**

I blushed at his texts even though I was alone in the kitchen.

Mom was in the shower when I got home, and I suspected that she was getting ready for bed.

She came downstairs about ten minutes after I got home. She didn't look mad, but she didn't look too pleased either. I'd told her about when I'd officially met Inuyasha in the bookstore, but I knew she would have preferred to know that I went out with him _before_ she called me during the date.

"I didn't know you had a date," she commented as she sat down at the kitchen table. I grabbed an apple from the counter and took a bite. I tried to chew as slowly as possible, but I knew that eventually I had to swallow and deal with this conversation.

"Um, I had a date today?" I said sheepishly. Mom shook her head but smiled.

"So…the boy with pretty eyes," she said.

I had just about died when Mom had called me when I was with Inuyasha. She'd asked if I was alone, and when I told her no, she asked I was with Inuyasha. I really hoped he didn't hear that through the phone.

I nodded. "He's really nice," I replied. "We had a good time."

Mom looked at me again and smiled. "You like him?" she asked. I blushed. "Yeah," I replied. "We both feel like we've met before. It's like…we're tied together or something."

Mom was pensive for a moment. "Have you ever heard of the Red Thread of Destiny?" she asked. I shook my head. "I don't think so," I replied.

"It's a Chinese legend," she explained. "If two people are destined to meet, be it as friends, lovers, or even enemies, there's a saying that they have a red thread tied to their fingers that binds them together. It's been said to transcend time and overcome any obstacles."

I mulled over that. "That's a nice thought," I replied. "A little unbelievable, but still nice." Mom patted my hand and stood up.

"I'm going to bed," she said. "Good night, dear."

"Good night, Mom," I replied. She left the kitchen and I heard her footsteps walking up the stairs.

The Red Thread of Destiny…that sounds about right.

The Boy:

 **Kagome: Favorite food?**

 **Inuyasha: Ramen...just thinking about it makes me hungry. Your turn.**

 **Kagome: I like oden a lot. Favorite animal?**

 **Inuyasha: Dogs. Definitely dogs.**

 **Kagome: You're just biased because of your name.**

I laughed out loud…alone in my apartment…I'm crazy about this girl.

Since the evening at the coffee shop, Kagome and I had been texting nonstop. It had been about two weeks, and because of her schooling and my working, we'd only had a chance to meet up twice. Our momentum kept going, though. It wasn't a passionate romance, but it was still a feeling that we were just…right. Right for each other, right _with_ each other, and there was just a happy feeling in general. I knew she felt it, too.

Talking to her was easy, and she was funny even over text. Despite not having time to go out again, we were still learning more and more about each other thanks to this digital age.

 **Kagome: I think I'm free on Saturday. Are you busy?**

I thought for a moment.

 **Inuyasha: Nope. That sounds good.**

 **Kagome: Coffee shop again?**

I smiled. I had something else in mind.

 **Inuyasha: Been there, done that. I have a better idea.**

 **Kagome: Better idea, here we come.**

 **Inuyasha: My car is out of the shop. I'll pick you up?**

 **Kagome: Sure.**

Kagome texted me her address and we settled on a time to meet.

I was more than excited to see her again. It felt like destiny.

Much love. :)


	4. Beautiful Night, Old Memories

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or its characters. All rights to Rumiko Takahashi.

 **Chapter 4: Beautiful Night, Old Memories**

The Girl:

"Mom!" I called out. "Inuyasha will be here soon!" Mom hurried down the stairs and ran to the front door with Sota hot on her trail.

"I'm meeting him," she said firmly. "Me, too!" Sota shouted. I rolled my eyes and laughed. They seemed more excited than I was. Well, maybe not, but it was disturbingly close.

"Don't scare him when he gets here," I mock-scolded them. Mom kept her perch at the door and Sota ran back upstairs. "I'll be right back," he announced. "I gotta grab something." That didn't sound good.

"What is it?" I called after him. My twelve-year-old brother liked to embarrass me, so I had a bad feeling about whatever he was getting. He didn't answer me. Instead, Sota disappeared up the stairs and I huffed. Sheesh.

Mom, however, stayed glued to the door by my side. I stifled an irritated sigh and took her hand to gently pull her from the door.

Mom gave in and followed me into the kitchen. "What are you two doing tonight?" she asked. I shook my head.

"Inuyasha said it was a surprise," I replied. Mom frowned. "Are you sure that's a good idea?" I nodded.

"I trust him," I said firmly.

Mom peered at me for a moment. "Okay, then," she replied. Before she could say anything else, the doorbell rang.

Mom jumped up like the teenager she is inside and ran to the door. I rolled my eyes and met her there.

"Mother," I whispered. "Calm down." Mom threw her hands in the air.

"Can you blame me for being excited?" she asked. "You've never brought a boy home." She didn't exactly whisper that, and I wished on a lucky star that Inuyasha couldn't hear her from the other side of the door.

"Just…please stop," I muttered. I nodded toward the kitchen. "Wait in there," I said. "It'll be weird if we're both at the door." Mom didn't look happy, but she obliged.

When she was out of sight, I opened the door.

"Hi," I said when I saw Inuyasha. "Hey," he said with a smile. He looked good without even trying. He was just wearing jeans and a nice shirt, but I had to suppress a blush.

He held up a small bouquet of flowers that I hadn't noticed because I was…uh, admiring him.

I took the flowers and smiled. "Thank you," I said. "Come in." Inuyasha smiled back at me and stepped through the door.

Before I led him further into the house, I leaned toward him. "My mom is in the kitchen, and she might be a little weird," I said quietly. "She's not usually like this, so just brace yourself." Inuyasha chuckled.

"I'm looking forward to meeting her," he replied.

I smiled and led him into the kitchen. When Mom saw him, I could tell she was physically restraining herself from jumping up and grilling Inuyasha about every aspect of his life.

"Hello," Mom said casually. "My name is Mana." Inuyasha smiled genuinely and reached out his hand.

"It's very nice to meet you," Inuyasha replied. "I'm Inuyasha." Mom smiled and shook his hand.

"I've heard so much about you," she said. I could tell she was about to be embarrassing, so I tried to get her attention elsewhere.

"Mom, look at how pretty these flowers are," I said. Mom looked at them.

"Oh, how lovely," she replied. "I'll find a vase." With Mom momentarily preoccupied, I turned to Inuyasha.

"I warned you," I said good-naturedly. Inuyasha shook his head and smiled.

"She's nice," he replied. "And you look beautiful." I blushed. Like Inuyasha, I was wearing nice jeans and blouse that was nice-looking and also kept me warm. It seemed versatile for whatever we might do, but apparently I was dressed to impress.

"Thank you," I said. Inuyasha looked like he was about to say something else when I heard Sota bounding down the stairs.

"Is he here?" he shouted. I stifled a groan. Here we go again.

Sota ran into the kitchen and looked at Inuyasha. "Whoa," he said. "You have really long hair. Nee-chan said it was long and white, but dang!" I was mortified.

Inuyasha just laughed. "It grows quickly," he replied. "Cutting it doesn't do much." Sota moved closer to him and touched his hair. Even though I'd been secretly dreaming of doing that, having my little brother run his fingers through Inuyasha's hair wasn't exactly a dream come true.

"Okay, Sota," I said as calmly as I could. Sota glanced at me and let go of Inuyasha's hair. I was nervous about whatever he had grabbed from upstairs, but all he had in his hand was a model car that he had built a few weeks ago.

"Lookit," he said to Inuyasha. Inuyasha peered at the small car.

"Wow," he said kindly. "That's very impressive." Sota looked proud. "I know," he replied. "I built it." Inuyasha laughed again.

"Look at how nice these look," Mom said suddenly. She'd found a vase, apparently, and I had to admit that the flowers looked beautiful in it.

"They're perfect," I said to Inuyasha. He met my eyes and smiled warmly.

"Are you guys gonna kiss?" Sota asked suddenly. I blushed furiously and grabbed Inuyasha's hand.

"Okay, we're leaving," I said as I pulled Inuyasha to the door with me.

"Have fun!" Mom called behind us.

When we had stepped outside the door and I closed it behind us, I turned to Inuyasha. "I'm sorry about them," I said. "They're a little—"

Inuyasha cut me off by planting a kiss on my cheek. Surprisingly, I didn't blush. Instead I just smiled.

"What was that for?" I asked. Inuyasha shrugged with a bright smile on his face. "Your brother put the idea in my head," he replied. "I decided to go for it." I laughed and took his hand again.

He led me to his car and opened the door for me. I slid in and Inuyasha made his way to the other side.

"Are you gonna tell me where we're going?" I asked. Inuyasha grinned and started the car.

"I will when we get there," he replied.

We drove off.

The Boy:

Kagome's smile brightened when she saw the large tree and the pond beside it. It wasn't bitterly cold outside, so I thought it would be a good idea to show her some of the outdoor perks of town.

There were light posts all around the pond and they had string lights on them. They were turned on every night at sundown, and I knew Kagome would like it.

"It's beautiful," she breathed. She took my hand and pulled me around the pond as she admired the lights.

"It's called Goshinboku," I replied. "It's the most popular spot in town, but no one usually comes during the winter. It's what the university is named after. People say it's magical." Kagome's eyes widened and we began to walk around to admire the lights and the water.

When she had looked to her heart's content, we sat down under the tree and admired the scenery. "Thank you for bringing me here," she said. I smiled.

"Sure," I replied. "My mother and I used to come here when I was little. It was her favorite place." Suddenly, I moved away from the tree and laid down on the ground so I could stare up at the sky. Kagome laughed.

"What are you doing?" she asked, amused. I looked up at her and smiled.

"We used to look up at the stars whenever we would come here at night," I explained. "Neither of us knew any constellations, so we would make up our own." Kagome laid down beside me and I took her hand in mine.

"See that cluster of stars over to the left?" I asked her. "That's called _canis_ _regalis."_ Kagome titled her head so she could look at me.

"Is that gibberish?" she asked. I chuckled.

"It's Latin," I replied. "It means 'royal dog.' My mom knew how to read and write in Latin, so she taught me. We practiced by naming these constellations. That was always the name I'd make up." Kagome squeezed my hand.

"I see one," she said. "The one smack dab in the middle of the sky? That's called _bella noche._ " I turned so I could see her.

"Now I _know_ that's gibberish," I replied. Kagome laughed.

"It's Spanish," she explained. "It means 'beautiful night.' You're not the only one that knows another language." I could practically hear the smirk in her voice. I was only impressed.

"You're cool," I said dumbly. _Wow,_ I thought to myself. _Of all the things you could've told her…_

But Kagome only laughed again and curled into my side. I wrapped my arm around her as we looked up at the sky.

After a while, I felt my hair being pulled. I sat up carefully and saw that it had tangled in a stick that was laying on the ground beside.

"Ouch," I said as I tried to untangle it from my hair. Kagome only burst out laughing and reached over to gently pull it out.

"Thanks," I muttered. I was ridiculously embarrassed but Kagome just smiled up at me. Any shame went away at the sight of her. _The things this girl does to me…_

Kagome turned her gaze back up to the sky above us, and her shirt had pulled up a bit at the waist. I couldn't help but notice something pink on the skin near the waistband of her jeans.

"What is that?" I asked as I eased closer. Kagome glanced down to what I was looking at. She blushed again.

"It's a tattoo," she replied. "It was a spur-of-the-moment, I'm-eighteen-now thing I got last month." She pulled up her shirt a little more so I could see the whole thing. It was a pink sphere that almost looked like a jewel.

"What is it?" I asked. Kagome touched it and shook her head as she pulled her shirt back down. "When I was little," she began, "I always used to draw this little pink sphere. I would doodle it everywhere. My dad used to take it and do some sort of adjusting to it." She smiled at the memory. "Sometimes he would help me add sparkles or smiley faces to it."

She motioned to her stomach. "I got a tattoo of the last picture Dad and I did of the drawing," she explained. "He called it the Shikon no Tama. He told me it's an old legend from the Feudal Era of Japan. When he died, the 'jewel' was the last thing we had done together."

"'Shikon no Tama?'" I repeated. "Is it real?" Kagome shrugged.

"I don't know," she replied. "He told me the story several times, but he never said if it was true." Curiosity filled me.

"Will you tell me the story?" I asked. Kagome nodded and began to retell the legend.

The story of the Shikon no Tama was about a half-demon boy and a time-traveling unrealized priestess girl. The jewel was inside the girl when they met, and her presence awakened the boy from a fifty-year slumber. He attacked her for the jewel, but she escaped. Not too much later, the girl accidentally shattered the jewel, forcing them to team up and work together to find all of the shards. Along the way, they met a fox demon, a monk, and a demon slayer.

Kagome spoke of the friendship they all developed, and of the love story that unfolded between the boy and the girl. I was entranced. Somehow, I thought that maybe I had heard the story before. Had my mother told it to me?

"And after being separated for three years," Kagome continued. "The well opened and the boy and girl were reunited. They got married soon after and began a life together. Things were peaceful for the rest of their days." Kagome closed her eyes.

"That's the end," she said quietly. "My dad always told me that I would wind up as happy as the two of them did. He ended the story that way every time." Her eyes opened and I saw that they had tears in them.

"Kagome," I murmured. "I'm sorry." Kagome shook her head and wiped her eyes. "It's okay," she replied. "I haven't told that story in a while. It reminds me of him too much."

I touched Kagome's cheek and she smiled sadly up at me. "Did you like the story?" she asked. I nodded and stroked her face from her cheek, to the corner of her mouth, and up again.

"Not as much as I like you," I replied. Kagome laughed and I wiped the rest of her tears away.

"Can I ask you a question?" she asked after her tears had dried up. I nodded.

"Of course," I replied.

Kagome sat up and moved so she was sitting next to me. "What was your mother like?" she asked.

I thought for a moment. She'd died when I was fourteen, so luckily I could still remember most of our time together.

"She was beautiful," I replied. "She was very kind, too. I was never really like the other kids at school, so I didn't have many friends. Through it all, my mother was always there. When I would come home with tough homework, she would always try to help even if she didn't know how to do it." I laughed.

"One time I couldn't figure out how to do long division," I continued. "Mom did her best to learn it and then teach me, but she taught me completely wrong. When I got to school the next day, I had no idea what I was doing. Mom felt terrible, but I thought it was funny. And besides, she was just trying to help." My smile faded.

"Then she got sick," I said. "It was cancer. They said she had time, and we thought that she'd be there for my high school graduation. It turned out to be a matter of months after they found the cancer that she died."

Kagome gently stroked my hand with her thumb. "I'm sorry," she said sincerely. I shook my head. "It's okay," I replied. "She lived a good life. She was a great mom."

"I think I would have liked her," Kagome said as she leaned her head on my shoulder. I turned my head slightly and let her sweet scent fill my senses. "I think she would have liked you, too," I replied. Just then, I remembered something Kagome's mother had said before we left.

"Speaking of mothers…" I began. "Your mom mentioned that she'd heard a lot about me. What kinds of things has she heard?"

Kagome lifted her head up and laughed. "All good things," she replied. "Like, I've told her that you're nice."

She reached out and touched a lock of my hair. "And that you have prettier hair than I do, which she learned tonight." We laughed and Kagome continued.

"I told her that your eyes were a color I had seen in my dreams," she continued. The laughter died when she said that. There was a sudden shift between us. "Those eyes were ones I had seen before even if it wasn't in person." My hand came up to cup her cheek. Kagome leaned into my palm.

"And I told her that when I saw you, I felt a connection," she murmured. "I told her it was like I knew you better than I knew myself. I told her that I couldn't shake the feeling." My lips touched her cheek and lingered for a moment.

"I told her I didn't _want_ to shake the feeling," she finished in a nearly inaudible voice. Her eyes turned up to meet mine.

"I don't know how this happened," I said as I brought my other hand up so I was cupping both of her cheeks. "I don't know why we feel this way, but I know that this connection between us is real." Kagome nodded.

After a moment, her eyes slowly shut and I was leaning toward her.

Our lips met in a soft kiss. It wasn't long and it wasn't intense. Just like everything else with us, it was familiar, and after a moment, she reached up and wrapped her arms around my neck. I gently slid my hands from her cheeks, to her neck, and finally to her waist as the kiss deepened.

It wasn't soft anymore. It was passionate, and it was filled with something that felt fragile.

 _"_ _Kagome, don't make any wishes!"_

I felt myself frown against the kiss. What was that?

 _"_ _Inuyasha, I want to be with you."_ Kagome?

" _When I met you, I regained my lost heart."_

 _"_ _I'll always be by your side."_

Kagome and I pulled away breathlessly and stared at each other. Had we really said those things about each other?

"Did you see that?" she asked. I nodded.

"It felt like…a memory," I replied. Kagome frowned.

"But…that never happened," she said. Her eyes met mine. "Or maybe it did. Kiss me again and try to remember something."

Before I could protest, Kagome was pulling me back to her and our lips met again.

At first, it was just the two of us. Our lips moved in sync and I felt her fingers tangle in my hair. All at once, a vivid memory flooded my mind.

There was darkness. Someone was shouting. "Inuyasha?" Kagome shouted my name into the void, and then she became visible. I watched as I suddenly appeared in front of her from the darkness. She'd been lost in the Jewel…but I'd found her. We were finally together again.

"Kagome," I said. Kagome's eyes filled with tears. "Inuyasha," she replied, her voice full of relief.

I pulled Kagome to me and kissed her. When we pulled away, she turned to a sudden brightness that had appeared.

"I'm ready to make my wish," she said. When I looked, it was a jewel like the one tattooed on Kagome's stomach with an arrow piercing it.

"Shikon no Tama," Kagome said with strength in her voice. "Disappear…forever!" With that, the jewel exploded and the memory turned into something else.

A shock ran through my body as a thousand memories poured into me.

It had been _us_.

 _We_ were the ones in the story.

I remembered now. Kagome…I loved her. We had found the shards together. We completed the jewel. In the end, it was us. We had been married, and had children, and had promised to find each other in our next lives. We were the reincarnations of ourselves five-hundred years later.

I was suddenly yanked back to what was happening right here and right now. I pulled away from Kagome and she sat up immediately as we stared at each other.

"That's what happens in the story my dad always told me," she said in awed wonder. "He never said names…but…Inuyasha, that was _us_." My eyes widened.

We looked at each other for a moment, and then we both moved. She breathed my name and then we pulled each other close again.

This kiss was different. We knew now. We weren't the Inuyasha and Kagome that had met a few weeks ago. We were the Inuyasha and Kagome that had met five-hundred _years_ ago. We were the Inuyasha and Kagome that had fallen in love and been separated, then reunited.

That's who we were.

This time, we were both completely conscious for this kiss. It was intense and passionate and full of the five-hundred-year-old love.

Kagome moved herself closer to me and I pulled her as close as possible.

When we finally pulled away, Kagome and I kept our arms around each other and just sat in a tight hug.

"I love you," I whispered into her hair. Kagome pulled away and I saw that she was crying. "I love you," she replied as if she could hardly believe it.

"How did we do it?" I asked. "How did we manage to find each other again?" Kagome smiled with the tears still streaming down her cheeks. To my surprise, I felt my cheeks growing wet, too.

"The Red Thread of Destiny," she replied. "It's a legend that connects two people together. Mom told me about it when you and I met. That's why we always thought that we knew each other. That thread transcends time. You and I…we were destined for each other."

I touched Kagome's face and ran my hands through her hair. She placed her hands on my chest and slid them up to my neck.

"I'm in awe," I murmured. "I can't believe it." Kagome laughed. "I can," she replied. "The love we have for each other can't be broken."

I pulled her to me again and kissed her like there was no tomorrow.

The Girl:

Inuyasha and I didn't tell anyone about our connection. We didn't tell my mom or even the children we had several years later.

We went to college together and got married soon after graduation. We both went on to get jobs in our fields, and after a few years of marriage, we found out that I was pregnant.

We lived our lives together in happiness and nothing short of pure bliss.

When we had grown old, we knew that we were near the end. Inuyasha ran his hand over my cheek and smiled at me.

"I'll see you in the next life," he said. I laughed and nodded against him. "See you in the next life," I replied.

We died with our arms around each other.

Another five-hundred years later, a baby boy with golden eyes was born and not too much later, a baby girl with blue eyes was born. Little did they know that they would continue the one thousand-year-old cycle.

 **FIN**

I hope you enjoyed my first AU fic! Let me know what you think!  
Much love. :)


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